Civil Rights US History 11

Reactions to Communism  The House Un-American Activities Committee – 1947 –An investigative committee of the House of Representatives which served to investigate the possibility of Communists living in the United States. –It was originally created to seek out Nazi sympathizers.

Reactions to Communism  Smith Act – 1940 –Made it a criminal offense in the United States to teach people to want to overthrow the government. –The goal was to prevent deception and possible Communist activity aimed at taking over the US government.

Reactions to Communism  Loyalty Review Board – March 1947 –An executive order from President Harry S. Truman which was aimed at rooting out Communist activity in the US government. –Of the 3 million government employees investigated by the board, just over 300 were fired for being security risks.

Reactions to Communism  Spying: Alger Hiss and Rosenbergs: –Alger Hiss was involved in the creation of the UN, and was later accused of being a Soviet spy. He was convicted of perjury in –The Rosenbergs were Jewish American Communists who were executed in 1953 after being convicted of conspiracy to commit espionage.

Reactions to Communism  McCarthyism – 1950’s –US Senator Joseph McCarthy sought out Communists in the US government. –He is famous for accusing thousands of Americans of being Communist – including movie stars and musicians.

Reactions to Communism  The Crucible by Arthur Miller – 1950s: –Written in reaction to McCarthyism and the blacklisting of Americans thought to be Communists

Brown v. Board of Education  1954  Overturned Plessy v. Ferguson  Established that separate but equal was not, in fact, equal  This case paved the way for integration and the Civil Rights movement

Little Rock 9  Nine African American students enrolled in Little Rock Central High School in 1957  They were prevented from attending the school by the Governor of Arkansas until President Eisenhower stepped in

University of Alabama  Governor George Wallace protested the enrollment of two African American students at the school in 1963 by performing his infamous “Stand in the Schoolhouse Door”  JFK called for the integration of the school

Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott  December 1, 1955 –Rosa Parks (Seamstress and NAACP officer) took a seat in the front row of the “colored” section of a Montgomery bus. –She refused to get up for a white person when the “white” section of the bus was filled –She was arrested and a boycott followed –Pastor Martin Luther King Jr. was put in charge of the Montgomery Improvement Association which ran the boycott

NAACP  Its mission is "to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate racial hatred and racial discrimination".  Created in 1909 by WEB DuBois

CORE  Congress of Racial Equality: Founded in 1942  CORE members aim to promote racial equality  CORE uses nonviolence in their efforts to promote civil rights

SCLC  Southern Christian Leadership Conference  Martin Luther King Jr. acted as the first president of the SCLC  Grew out of the Montgomery Bus Boycott

Martin Luther King Jr.   Clergyman (pastor) and Civil Rights activist  Believed in non-violence and civil disobedience  Called his peaceful approach to protesting “soul force”  Assassinated in 1968 on the balcony of his hotel in Memphis

Nation of Islam  Formed in 1930 by Wallace D. Fard Muhammad  The Nation’s teachings were followed by Malcom Little (Malcom X) while in prison  Followed the teachings that whites caused the black condition and that blacks should separate from white society

Malcom X   Went to jail at age 20 for burglary where he studied the teachings of the Nation of Islam  Malcom X’s message appealed to many African Americans who were becoming increasingly proud of their racial pride

Civil Rights Act of 1957  Primarily a voting rights bill  Introduced by Dwight D. Eisenhower  Lyndon Johnson was able to get the bill passed after Strom Thurmond’s filibuster (which lasted for over 24 hours and included readings from the Declaration of Independence and phone books).

Civil Rights Act of 1964  Prohibited discrimination because of race, religion, national origin, and gender.  Gave all citizens the right to enter libraries, parks, washrooms, restaurants, theaters, and other public accommodations.  Passed under President Johnson (after President Kennedy was assassinated).

24 th Amendment  The amendment which made it illegal to impede the right to vote based on failure to pay a tax (poll tax or other tax).

Voting Rights Act of 1964  Again, made it illegal to discriminate the right to vote based on race or color  This act echoed the sentiment of which Amendment to the Constitution?

Cesar Chavez  Formed the National Farm Workers Association because he felt that farm workers had the right to unionize  The NFWA later joined with another group to become the United Farm Workers Organizing Committee

American Indian Movement  Many young Native Americans were dissatisfied with the pace of progress toward reform and they formed an often militant defense group

Betty Friedan  Author of The Feminine Mystique about the dissatisfaction of many American women during the 1950’s

Equal Rights Amendment  Passed in 1972 by Congress  Would guarantee equal rights to men and women under the law  The ERA was not passed by enough states (38) to become law and was defeated  Much of the dissent for the law came from the new “pro-family” movement called the New Right

National Organization of Women (1966)  Founded by Betty Friedan (and others) in 1966 as an organization to look at and fight against discrimination of women

Title IX of Educational Amendments Act  States that no person can be discriminated against based on their sex in any education program or activity receiving federal funding  One of the biggest impacts of Title IX was the inclusion of more girls sports in schools

Warren Court  US Supreme Court from while Earl Warren was Chief Justice  Under the Warren Court many changes were made in the judicial power and philosophy of the American judiciary